There are a number of situations, both in the home and at work, where a person must gain access to the underside of a heavy article. In the home, for example, a person must often lift a couch, sofa, or other piece of large and/or heavy furniture in order to retrieve items that have fallen beneath the article or to vacuum or clean the region underneath the article. In the case of a large couch or sofa, this can pose a number of safety and health issues. Some articles may weigh well over 100 pounds and may be so large and cumbersome that they are difficult to manipulate. As a result, it can be very difficult for a single person to lift or move the article. This is especially true when the person is elderly, possesses a physical ailment, or otherwise has difficulty in lifting heavy objects. Furthermore, even for people who can lift articles such as couches and sofas with little difficulty, the person will still have a difficult time cleaning or reaching underneath the article while simultaneously keeping the article lifted or tilted. Additionally, this action can create severe safety issues, such as the object falling on the individual as the person attempts to simultaneously work underneath the article and keep the article suspended or tilted.
In the workplace or an industrial setting, similar issues can also arise. For example, custodial personnel often have to lift or tilt office furniture in order to clean in hard-to-reach areas. Certain types of machinery may also need to be lifted and/or tilted in various circumstances in order to work underneath the article. In each of these circumstances, substantial safety issues can arise if a single individual is required to both lift and/or tilt the object and simultaneously perform actions underneath the object.
For all these reasons, it would be advantageous to develop a mechanism that permits a user to quickly and easily lift and/or tilt a large bulky and heavy object such that the person can easily and safely perform actions, such as cleaning, underneath the object.